Succession series of the Counts of Holland

General information
Original location Haarlem, Carmelite monastery (known from the city's history)
Current location Haarlem, City hall
Provenance See Van Anrooij
Artist Anonymous
Date 1486-1491 (based on historical data)
Material Oil on panel
Dimensions 225 x 165 cm (16 panels)
225 x 115 cm (two panels with one person and the panel with Death)
Visual elements
Short description 19 panels with portraits of the counts of Holland, full-length, displayed inside a late gothic architectural environment, of which the frame of the paintings forms a part. The first panel contains a herald with an introductory text roll, the last panel displays Death in the shape of a rotten corpse with a moral admonition concerning the heavenly rewards of good government. 15 panels display two counts or countesses, the other two panels display each one count or countess.
Coat of arms First panel, bottom, from right to left: semicircular shields - a: in gold a two-headed black eagle (in goud een dubbele zwarte adelaar);
b: in blue three gold fleurs de lys, 2-1 (in blauw drie gouden lelies, 2-1);
c: in gold a red, blue clawed and tongued lion (in goud een blauw getongde en genagelde rode leeuw);
d: in gold a red, blue clawed and tongued lion (in goud een blauw getongde en genagelde rode leeuw);
e: in red a silver pale (in rood een zilveren paal);
f: in red a silver, gold hafted sword between four gold six-pointed stars, 2-2 (in rood een zilveren, goud gevest zwaard tussen vier zespuntige gouden sterren, 2-2);
g: in silver a black pale (in zilver een zwarte paal);
h: in silver two red keys in saltire (in zilver twee schuingekruiste rode sleutels)
Text Last panel, under Death: Die doot seijt tot den heeren // Ghij Hollantsche graven hier al ghemeene // ghij gravinnen ghij voochden die sijt voorleden // daer en isser ghebleeven thants uwer gheene // maer sijt an mijnnen dans getreden // nu ghij regeert hebt beij lant en steden // men weet dit thants wel altemalen // ist al geschiet na recht en reden // soo moochdij voor Godt u loon nu halen // ist oock soo niet soo sall u falen // want heeft gunst of haet dat recht verkeert // soo moetij met pijnnen dat nu betalen // ja ghij hadt voor pelgrim veel bet gaen dwalen // dan ghij u landen hebt soo gheregeert
For the texts of the herald and the non-pilgrim counts, see Van Anrooij.
Number of pilgrims 6
Depicted pilgrims
Personal information
Name Dirk III of Holland
Social status / profession Count of Holland 993-1039
Coat of arms On his shoulder: high gothic shield - in gold a red, blue clawed and tongued lion (in goud een blauw getongde en genagelde rode leeuw)
Text Under his portrait: Die derde Diederick wert grave na dien // een vrouwe hiet Wijthilt had die prince ghoet // Hertogh Otten dochter van Sassen, bij wien // hij wan twee jonghe soonen seer soet: // Diederick, grave van Hollant, sijt dies wel vroet // en Floris, grave van Oostvrieslant, vroom van lede. // Na dat hij van de Uutrechtsch zeghen quam metter spoet // reijsde hij te Jerusalem met wijser sede // maer int wedercomen hij sijn eijnde dede // als xlvi jaer gheregeert had met grooter ere // en wert tEgmont begraven, daer leijt oock mede // sijn broeder van Breederode die eerste heere.
Pilgrimages
Year of pilgrimage to Jerusalem ca.1005 and between 1030-1034
Death
Date of death 27 May 1039
Location of grave Egmond, St Adalbert's Abbey
Additional information related to this person
Personal remarks Dirk was given the nickname 'Ierosolimita' in old sources, because of his two pilgrimages.
On his first pilgrimage, Dirk allegedly dug a well in the village Akören in Anatolia in 1005, a deed still celebrated by the local population.
The second pilgrimage was undertaken after Dirk's brother died in 1034.
Personal information
Name Robert 'the Frisian' of Flanders
Social status / profession As second husband of Gertrud of Saxony, Robert functioned as guardian of the underage count Dirk V, a child from the first marriage of Gertrud with Floris I (1063-1070). Robert was a brother of count Baldwin IV of Flanders, and became count of Flanders himself from 1071 to 1093.
Coat of arms On his shoulder: high gothic shield - gironny of ten gold and blue a (red) inescutcheon (gegeerd van tien stukken van goud en blauw; een (rood) hartschild)
Text Under his portrait: Dese Robrecht van sijns wijfs kinder weghe regeerde // tien jaer. Hij street vromelick int Heijlijghe lant // en an Geertruijt sijn wijf die duecht hanteerde // wan hij twee kinderen, die heere plaijsant. // Een soon hiet Robrecht, stout en vaeijliant, // en Adelije, grootvorstin van Denemercken. // Als dese heer verdreven was, sij u bekant, // van den hertoch van Lotrike uut bisscops verstercken // van Uutrecht tooch hij in de Vlaemsche percken // en waert daer grave na sijns broeders kinderen doot. // Doe sijn sterfdach was leden wert hij in der kercken // tSint Pieters te Cassel begraven dats bloot.
Pilgrimages
Year of pilgrimage to Jerusalem 1086/7-1091
Death
Date of death 13 October 1093
Location of grave Cassel (France), church of St Peter
Additional information related to this person
Personal remarks In the text, Robert is presented as having fought in the Holy Land. Robert, however, did not go on crusade, but on a 'normal' pilgrimage.
Personal information
Name Dirk VI of Holland
Social status / profession Count of Holland 1122-1157; Under guardianship of his mother 1122-1130; contested by his brother Floris 1129-1131
Coat of arms On his shoulder: high gothic shield - in gold a red, blue clawed and tongued lion (in goud een blauw getongde en genagelde rode leeuw)
Text Under his portrait: Die seste Diederick regeerde Hollant alghader // hij had Otto tpalsgraven dochter Sophije // te wijve, an wien hij wan als jongstich berader // Floris, grave van Hollant, soo ick belije, // Otto, grave van Benthem, en na dien tije // Boudewijn en Diederick, bischoppen tUutrecht. // Als hij de Vriesen en den grave van Kuijck met strije // had verwonnen hij tooch te Jerusalem recht. // Int wedercommen van daer, tis slecht, // starf hij na dat hij had grave gheweest // xli jaer, alsoo die historije secht // wert hij tEgmont begraven met ghroote feest.
Other known portraits The 'Tympanum of Egmond' (Rijksmusem), MeMO Memorial Object ID 721, carries devotional portraits of Dirk and his mother Petronella.
Pilgrimages
Year of pilgrimage to Jerusalem 1138-1139
Death
Date of death 5 August 1157
Location of grave Rijnsburg, Abbey of Rijnsburg
Additional information related to this person
Personal remarks Dirk went together with his wife Sophia of Rheineck. She gave birth to a son, Dirk, on the way in 1139, who was nicknamed 'Peregrinus' (pilgrim). After her husband's death, Sophia visited Santiago de Compostela, and went two more times to Jerusalem (1173 and 1176). She died in Jerusalem on 26 September 1176.
Although Dirk is mentioned in the text to have been buried in Egmond, he was actually buried in Rijnsburg.
Personal information
Name Floris III of Holland
Social status / profession Count of Holland 1157-1190; partook in various battles under emperor Frederick Barbarossa
Coat of arms On his shoulder: high gothic shield - in gold a red, blue clawed and tongued lion (in goud een blauw getongde en genagelde rode leeuw)
Text Under the portrait: Floris de derde wert na den vader ghecoren. // Ada sconijner dochter van Schotlant was sijne vrouwe // van wien hem drie sonen worden gheboren. // d'Eerste hiet Diederijck, d'ander Willem soo ick schouwe, // de derde Floris als dees heer ghetrouwe. // Teghen de Vriesen en Vlamijnngen vele strijden // had ghehadt, tooch hij na mijnnen onthouwe // met veel kersten heeren sonder vermijden // om tHeijlijghe Lant te winnen, daer hij te dien tijden // starf, en wert in Anteochijen begraven doe // in Sinte Pieters kercke na daer belijden. // Hij regheerde xxv jaer, soo ick bevroe.
Pilgrimages
Year of pilgrimage to Jerusalem 1189-1190, on the Third Crusade under emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Floris died on the way, and therefore never visited Jerusalem.
Death
Date of death 1 August 1190, in Antioch
Location of grave Antioch, church of St Peter
Additional information related to this person
Personal remarks Floris holds prayer beads in his right hand. According to Cerutti, this is not a rosary but an Islamic string of beads. This interpretation, however, is tentative and does not really make sense. The prayer beads look as much like a rosary as its Islamic version, which in both cases means only superficially.
Personal information
Name Willem I of Holland
Social status / profession Count of Holland 1203-1222
Coat of arms On his shoulder: high gothic shield - in gold a red, blue clawed and tongued lion (in goud een blauw getongde en genagelde rode leeuw)
Text Under the portrait: Na Ada quam Willem, haer oom, uut Oostvrieslant hier // en wert grave in Hollant en had te wijve Alijt, // graef Otten dochter van Ghelre fier, // bij wien hij drie sonen wan, des seker sijt: // Floris, die na hem regeerde met herten verblijt, // Otto, bisschop tUutrecht en joncker Willem mede. // Mits hulpe der luijden van Haerlem in sijn jonghe tijt // wan hij Damijaten, die onwinlijcke stede, // daer kreghen die van Haerlem met wijser sede // haer wapen. Hij vocht veel strijden in heijdenesse. // Hij starf en wert begraven, dat is waerhede, // te Reijnsburch. Hij regeerde xiii jaer en sesse.
Pilgrimages
Year of pilgrimage to Jerusalem 1189-1191, as part of the Third Crusade under Frederick Barbarossa, together with his father Floris. After his father's and Barbarossa's death, Willem played a part in the conquest of Akko (1191) and returned home afterwards.
1217-1219, as part of the Fifth Crusade, in which Willem played a part in capturing Damiate in Egypt.
Death
Date of death 4 February 1222
Location of grave Rijnsburg, Abbey of Rijnsburg
Additional information related to this person
Personal remarks Willem probably never visited Jerusalem, as both crusades in which he partook failed in achieving their goal: the conquest of the city.
Personal information
Name Willem IV of Holland
Social status / profession Count of Holland and count of Hainaut (as Willem III) 1337-1345
Coat of arms On his shoulder: high gothic shield - quarterly, I, IV: in gold a black lion; II, III: in gold a red lion (gevierendeeld, I, IV: in goud een zwarte leeuw; II, III: in goud een rode leeuw)
Text Under the portrait: Dits Willem, sijn soone, wiens wijf hiet Johanna, // hertoch Jans dochter van Brabant ghebooren, // an wien hij gheen kinders wan, soo ick versta. // Drie werf tooch hij om die heijden te verstooren, // int derde wedercommen, dat suldij hooren, // hielt hij een hof te Colen wel openbaer. // Die keurvorsten tsamen leijden hem te vooren // om dat keijserrijck te willen ontfanghen daer. // Uutrecht beleijde hij ende want daer naer, // maer in Vrieslant bij Staveren wert hij verslaghen // doen hij gheregeert had slechts neghen jaer, // ende wiert te Valencijn te grave ghedragen.
Pilgrimages
Year of pilgrimage to Jerusalem 6 August 1343 - 25 November 1343 (arrival in Venice)
Travel report Willem did not write a travel report, but there exists an account of the expenses made on his journey by his clerk Ysebout. This account provides highly detailed information on the journey, for instance that 38 servants were left behind in Cyprus, for unknown reasons. The account was published by Hamaker.
Death
Date of death 26 September 1345
Location of grave Hartwerd, monastery of Bloemkamp, later transferred to Valenciennes, church of the Minorites.
Additional information related to this person
Personal remarks Willem went three times on crusade in Prussia. This is mentioned in the text, but not his journey to Jerusalem. This is odd, since it is mentioned in the texts of the other pilgrim counts.
Additional information
General remarks The reason for the execution of the series was the political situation in Holland, which necessitated a declaration of loyalty to the reigning count's house. The portraits cannot be regarded as such in the strict sense: due to the centuries between most persons and the moment of execution of the panels, they are not painted according to life or from another portrait. These paintings are rather representations of the counts than actual portraits.
Literature
  • Anrooij, Wim van (ed.), De Haarlemse gravenportretten: Hollandse geschiedenis in woord en beeld (Hilversum 1997)
  • Cerutti, Wim, Haarlemse Jeruzalemvaarders (Haarlem 2010), pp. 33-38
  • Cerutti, Wim, Het stadhuis van Haarlem: hart van de stad (Bloemendaal and Haarlem 2001), pp. 256-267, 698
  • Hamaker, H.G., De rekeningen der grafelijkheid van Holland onder het Henegouwsche Huis, vol. 3, Werken Historisch Genootschap, new series, no. 26 (Utrecht 1878)
MeMO ID 748
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